so apparently these vests are mandated to be owned, in case of your vehicle breaking down. was this purposely done to base a movement around? or is it a clever hack using the government's overreach against itself?

When they talk about May 1968, they're referring to a general strike and protests that nearly shut down the country.

The French don't fuck around. Have you heard of sabotage? It comes from the French word sabot, which is either a wooden shoe or a metal fastener used to bind rails to railroad ties. In the early 1900s, striking railroad workers destroyed the sabot and brought rail traffic to a screeching halt.